1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating uncooked foodstuffs, such as meat, fish, or vegetables. More particularly, the present invention relates to vacuum tumblers, for marinating and tenderizing foods in a low-pressure environment.
2. Description of the Background Art
People have long tried to improve the taste and tenderness of foods, especially meat products. A variety of techniques have been used. Salt, wine, oil, and a combination of herbs and vegetables have been used to make meat products easier to chew and better tasting. Chefs have known for many years that marinating meat, fish and vegetables improves the flavor and texture thereof.
Research has been conducted regarding processed meat products; specifically, the desirability to bring myosin proteins to the meat surface. Myosin is the most common protein found in muscle, the primary content of meat products, and it acts as a binding agent to keep the muscle tissue of the meat together. This condition is anathema to tender meat, which is easy to chew and requires little effort to cut. Therefore, reducing the amount of myosin in meat is desired, as such reduction will make the meat more tender.
One method for reducing the amount of myosin in meat involves tumbling the meat in a drum. The drum contains internal paddles to cause the meat to continually rotate and tumble.
This type of known meat tumbler has some drawbacks. One drawback of most currently known meat tumblers is that the sheer size of the tumbler makes it impractical for home use. These tumblers are built primarily for the commercial market, where large amounts of meat are processed on a regular basis. Also, the tumbling action and the motor required to rotate the drum creates noise, which is undesirable in a home kitchen setting.
It has been found that tenderizing of meat products is accelerated when the products are placed in a vacuum-sealed canister. This development when applied to the large commercial tumblers described above does not make them any more practical for home kitchen use.
It has been known to marinate meat and other food products, in a reduced-pressure environment, in some smaller tumblers. For example, published U.S. patent application U.S. 2003/0085234 suggests the use of a vacuum tumbler dimensioned to fit on a counter top, in which food may be marinated while it is tumbled in a vacuum.